EXCLUSIVE: Lanarkshire footballer taunted for mental health on pitch STILL not heard from SFA
David Cox was subjected to jibes over his mental health on the pitch playing for Albion Rovers over a year ago.
Last updated 10th May 2022
Former Albion Rovers player David Cox claims he has yet to hear back from the Scottish Football Association more than a year after being taunted about his mental health on the pitch.
The 33-year-old was forced to leave the game against Stenhousemuir at half time because he was so upset.
He exclusively told Forth 1: "The SFA has a lot to answer for and it seems as though they feel it is okay to brush over it because I am not involved in football anymore.
"I would like to know what they have done to improve things off the back of my incident.
"It's not clear if they've approached clubs and players to make things easier for people who are going through a hard time.
"Footballers should be asked what help they need and be supported to move forward."
David, who runs FLEX Fitness in Motherwell, also claims he has been the victim of more jibes surrounding his mental health while playing for Brechin City.
He added: "Something similar happened a few months ago and I didn't talk about it initially because I didn't think anything would change, it's so sad.
"I don't enjoy football as much as I used to and these situations have put me off the sport.
"Boys need to be looked after and clubs don't prioritise mental health before anything else.
"Some guys are even being asked if they have mental health issues before being signed which is a real barrier for everyone."
As mental health awareness week continues, he feels clubs and managers are putting people before profit.
"The environment is so competitive and managers only want players who will be consistent every week with no issues at all.
"If you have issues then you are quickly put on the back burner.
"At the end of the day if they are not winning then their jobs are on the line.
"However, if you had people who could identify the ones with issues and help them get through it then it could make teams so much better."
A spokesperson for the SFA said it doesn't comment on individual cases.